


New Kid in Town

by der_tanzer



Series: Protective Custody [23]
Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-29
Updated: 2010-11-29
Packaged: 2017-10-13 10:56:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/136559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/der_tanzer/pseuds/der_tanzer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ted meets a relative he didn’t know he had, opening the door to family he didn’t know he wanted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Kid in Town

Ted was setting the table when someone knocked on the front door. Murray was supposed to be there any minute for supper, but he had his own key. Ted decided he must have lost it and went to let him in. But the man at the door was a stranger to him. He was about Murray’s age, maybe a little younger, and if possible, even more nervous. He stood there fidgeting, hands in his pockets, shifting from one foot to the other like a shorter, and, to be honest, more conventionally handsome, Murray.

“Something I can do for you?” he asked tersely. “And if you’re selling magazines, steak knives, or religion, the answer is no.”

“No, I’m not selling anything. Um, are you Ted Quinlan?”

“Yeah, so?” Ted was getting worried, afraid that this man had been sent to give him bad news.

“Wow, you don’t look anything like I imagined.”

“No kidding. Is that supposed to mean something to me? Look, who the hell are you?”

“I—I’m—my name’s Steven. Steve Quinlan.”

“What? Jesus, you don’t think you’re my kid, do you? Because I’m pretty sure I’d’ve heard of you before now.”

“No, no, I’m—look, could I come in? I’d really like to talk to you.”

“Yeah, maybe you should,” he said, standing back at last and letting him in. “Come on in to the kitchen. You want a beer or something?”

“Sure, that might help,” Steve said with a nervous laugh. “Thanks.” He sat down at the table, observing the plates and silverware for two, and accepted the can of beer.

“So you’re a Quinlan,” Ted said, taking a seat across from him. “What’s the story on that?”

“Well, I’m Greg’s son. Which makes you my uncle.”

“That ain’t right,” he said, shaking his head as if disagreeing with the conclusion.

“I think it is. You’re certainly not my aunt.”

“My brother doesn’t have any kids. You must’ve got the wrong Ted Quinlan.”

“No, I assure you, he does. Two, in fact. I have a sister, Kate, who’s two years older than me.”

“What the hell are you talking about? How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-eight. I promise you, your brother Greg is my father. I’m not surprised you never heard of me; I know things have been bad between you two.”

“Yeah? What’d he do, tell you I was dead?”

“No, he, uh, told us he was an only child.”

“What?” That was worse than he’d expected, and Ted had to put down his beer can before he dropped it.

“Yeah. You know, when Kate and I were kids, we used to fight a lot. He would always tell us we should appreciate each other because he’d always wanted a brother or sister when he was little but he never had one.”

“Christ in a cartoon.”

“I—I’m really sorry about that, Uncle Ted.”

“It’s not your fault. So how’d you find out? Your dad die or something?”

“No, but he and Mom are moving. I was over there helping them sort through stuff and I found a box of pictures from when Dad was a kid. It’s not like I’d never seen any—he had a bunch he used to show us—but they were always him and his folks, or with friends or something. These were different. They were all family photos, holidays and shit, and there was this other man in them that I’d never seen before. I asked him about it and he just said it was his brother, then snatched them away. Mom told me later that you—well—that you’re…”

“That I’m queer and he don't much care for me?”

“Something like that. She told me your name and I got your address from the phone book.”

“What for?”

“Well, I just wanted to meet my uncle. We don’t have a lot of family, you know, and it seemed wrong having an uncle I’d never even heard of. Mom said you’re a cop?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I just retired from the Army Reserves—they promoted me to captain so I could go out on a high note—but I’m still a lieutenant in the police department. I got five more years til retirement.”

“And it’s not a problem with the department? You being gay?”

“Doesn’t seem to be. I think a few people have figured it out. It’s a small town and the guy I’ve been seeing is pretty well known, too. But no one seems to mind so long as we keep it quiet.”

“So you have a—a boyfriend? You aren’t, like, dating around?”

“No, you can’t do _that_ in a small town,” he said wryly and sipped his beer. “Anyway, he’s a good man. I ain’t interested in anyone else.”

Steven didn’t have a response to that. He was still trying to process the idea of this elderly (for so he appeared to the nephew half his age), balding, and apparently angry man having a lover of any kind. Maybe the boyfriend was old, too. Maybe they were contentedly settling.

“Something wrong?” Ted asked when the silence had stretched out too long.

“No, sorry. My mind just wandered for a second. So, when was the last time you saw my dad?”

“A couple years ago, I guess. I had my gallbladder out, kind of an emergency thing, and the hospital called him in as next of kin.”

“I wonder if that was when he said he was going to that bowling tournament. I thought it was weird because Mom usually went along to those, but she stayed home that time.”

“Probably. I didn’t want him here and he didn’t want to come, but they didn’t give us any choice.”

“Where was your, uh, friend?”

“He was there. But he don’t count as family. Nearly killed him, the way Greg treated him that week. Wouldn’t even let him visit.”

“Wow, that’s—that’s terrible.”

“You don’t sound real convinced.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, you know, he raised me. I thought the same things about gays that he does, until I went to college. But educated or not, it’s still kind of new for me.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to understand, or even like me. It’s not like we had a relationship that’s gonna be destroyed if you decide not to speak to me again.”

“No, but I’d like to have one. You seem like an okay guy, Uncle Ted. I really would like to know you better.”

“Ain’t much to know,” he shrugged. “I’m older’n your dad by twelve years, I served in Korea and Vietnam, and I been a cop here since I got back in seventy-three. And, in an attempt to make points with the family, I was married for a couple years in the sixties, between wars.”

“You were married?”

“Yeah. She was a nice girl, but it wasn’t a good idea. We got divorced and she married someone better. Some straight guy from Fresno.”

“Fresno, huh? But you liked her?”

“She was okay. I was just never into girls. Broke my dad’s heart when we split up. And your dad didn’t take it too well, either. Look, I don’t know what you want to hear from me, but family ain’t really my favorite topic, seeing as how I don’t really have any that’ll own me.”

“You probably don’t want to tell me war stories then, either, do you?” he asked with a small smile.

“Same thing. Tell me about yourself, then. You married or gay or anything?”

“I’m engaged, actually. Her name’s Julie. We’re getting married on Valentine’s Day. You should come, in fact.”

“Congratulations. But I don’t think that’s a very good idea, putting me in the middle of a family event. Your dad would shit kittens if I showed up.”

“You think so?”

“Come on, kid. You never even heard of me until, what, a week ago? And even then, he never said my name. You had to ask your mama.”

“Yeah, but it’s my wedding, right? And dad would never cause a scene at an event like that.”

“You don’t think so? Forget it, Steve. I’d like to be there, but it’d just fuck up your big day. Forget it. So, you went to college? What’d you study?”

“Pharmacy science. I’m a pharmacist at a Payless in LA. Julie, my fiancé, majored in business management, and she’s the assistant manager there. When the manager moves up in a couple years, she’ll get the store.”

“Sounds like a good deal. Planning on having kids?”

“Yeah, in two or three years, when we’re a little more stable. Julie wants to keep working, so we’ll have to be able to afford good child care. Mom and Dad said they’d help out, but I don’t think I want my kids learning all the things they taught us.”

“No?”

“Well, no. I don’t want my kids growing up bigots. Dad doesn’t like blacks or Mexicans, either, and he’s pretty vocal about it. Kate doesn’t let her kids spend more than two hours a week with them. Non-consecutive.”

“He gets that from our old man, too. I had to go to war to start seeing that men really are all equal. Kind of a shame Greg didn’t get to fight. So, Kate has kids?”

“Two girls and a boy. She got married right out of college and works from home.”

“What does she do?”

“Medical transcription, and a little freelance writing. You might have seen her in the _LA Times_ , Katherine Hillstrom?”

“That—that’s my niece? Damn. I always tell Murray, no one can write up a political scandal like that woman can. And here she’s my own niece.”

“Who’s Murray? Is that your, uh—what’s the word you use?”

“Friend, mostly, and yeah. He’s my ‘friend’.”

“What’s he do? Is he a cop, too?”

“Private detective. He’s a sweet kid, not really cut out for the job, but he does some computer work, too. I don’t know much about that.”

“You’re not into computers?”

“I’m too old for that shit. Old dogs and new tricks, you know how it is.”

“So Murray’s—younger?”

“Not as young as you, but a lot younger than me. I guess he’d be thirty-seven or eight now.”

“Have you been together long? I’ve known Julie for two years and sometimes I worry about running out of things to talk about after ten years or so.”

“I’ve known him since he moved to town in eighty-four. We never had a lot in common, with his computers and teaching, and me being an old soldier, but always having to explain shit gives us a lot to talk about. And we don’t live together, so that probably helps.”

“Do you want to live with him?”

“In theory, sure. But we’d never try it. Too good a way to get killed.”

“That’s messed up, Uncle Ted. Why can’t you live with whoever you want?”

“Because there are more people in the world like your dad than there are like you, I guess.”

“You know, I’m not sure I want him at my wedding, anyway,” Steve said.

Ted got up to get another beer before he tried to respond. Even level-headed pharmacists could be overly idealistic when they were young, and he hated to be the one to disabuse him of his notions. But he was spared the trouble by Murray’s sudden entrance.

“Hey, Ted,” he called cheerfully as he breezed into the house. “Sorry I’m so late. Did you know you left your front door unlocked? You’re always nagging me about that, and here you go doing—” Murray stopped short in the kitchen doorway, his face a picture of surprise and embarrassment, blending into suspicious fear. “I—I’m sorry, Lieutenant. I didn’t know you had company. I just wanted to return the—the—uh…” He looked around frantically and then remembered the books in his arms. “The books I borrowed. Here, I’ll just put them over—over here, and be on my way.”

Ted had to bite his lips to keep from laughing as Murray dropped the books on the kitchen table.

“Hey, kid, it’s all right. This is my nephew, Steve Quinlan. Steve, this is Murray Bozinsky.”

“Hi,” Murray said, still blushing furiously. He offered a hand for shaking and then started to turn away. “I’ll see you later, Ted.”

“No, don’t go,” Ted said patiently, still fighting back a smile. He got another can of beer and returned to his seat, gesturing with a jerk of his head for Murray to join them. “It’s okay. He knows.”

“Oh. Yes, all right,” he said vaguely and sat down to drink his beer. “I didn’t know you had a nephew.”

“I didn’t either, until about half an hour ago. Greg never told either of us about the other.”

“Oh. Gee, that’s awful, Ted.”

“That’s Dad,” Steve shrugged. “He’s the biggest fa—homophobe I’ve ever met. But I admit I was a little surprised that he hid his own brother. He could have just raised me to hate Uncle Ted and that would have worked just as well.”

“So, is that why you came?” Murray asked, narrowing his eyes. “To hate on Ted like your dad does? He also happens to be the biggest homophobe _I’ve_ ever met.”

“No, I just wanted to meet my uncle. I guess Dad was hard on you before, wasn’t he?”

“He had hospital security beat me up when I tried to visit Ted after surgery.”

“I’m sorry about that, Murray. We—my mom and me, didn’t even know where he was or I’d have tried to help you.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Murray said, flustered.

“You know, you look really familiar,” Steven said suddenly. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Everyone knows Murray from _somewhere_ ,” Ted grinned. “Might have seen him in a magazine or doing a TV interview.”

“Really? Why would—oh, _shit_. You’re Murray Bozinsky. I’m sorry, I totally missed that before. I was a huge fan of your games when I was in college. I can’t believe my uncle is dating one of the greatest computer programmers in North America.” He seemed genuinely happy and Murray relaxed a little.

“I suppose,” he said, blushing again. “I don’t think Ted’s really impressed by it.”

“The hell I’m not. Look, supper should be ready. You ought to stay and eat with us, Steve.”

“Sure, I’d like that. What’re we having?”

“Meatloaf and baked potatoes. Trying to put a little bulk on this kid, but it’s a losing battle.” He got up and took the food from the oven while Murray got the serving dishes and another place setting.

“Ted likes to pick on me,” he told Steve matter-of-factly. “I think it’s cute.”

“No you don’t,” Ted protested, unable to hide his smile. “It annoys the hell out of you, and don’t you forget it.”

“Right, I’m annoyed,” Murray corrected, bending to kiss him as soon as he’d put down the meatloaf pan.

“Don’t do that in front of my nephew,” he growled in mock anger.

“I’m sorry, is that embarrassing?” Murray asked, genuinely worried.

“Don’t censor yourselves on my account,” Steve shrugged. “I’m not my dad; I didn’t come to your house to tell you what to do.”

Ted and Murray exchanged a marveling glance before sitting down to eat. It was hard to believe this guy was really a Quinlan.

***

By the time they’d finished eating, Steven had reached a difficult decision. In an effort to buy a little more time, he offered to help Murray clear the table and was very politely refused.

“You didn’t come all this way to wash dishes,” Murray said. “You came to visit your uncle.”

“Well, I kind of want to talk to both of you.”

“I can hear all right,” he said, rinsing the plates under runner water. Presumably Steve was only including him to be polite. After all, he hadn’t known there would be a lover when he knocked on the door.

“What’s on your mind?” Ted asked, a strange fear prickling the back of his neck. He couldn’t help feeling like this evening had gone too well up to now and this had to be the inevitable kick in the teeth that must follow.

“Well, the thing is, Uncle Ted, I’d really like it if you two came to my wedding.”

“No way,” he said dismissively. “Didn’t we already go over this? Your dad would kill one of us for sure, and maybe both. It’s a lot more trouble than you or your new wife are gonna want.”

“Sure, if he was there. But if he knew that you and Murray were going, he’d stay home.”

“You’d rather have us than your own father?” Murray asked, turning off the water to make sure he heard correctly.

“I think I would. The thing is, Julie’s brother is gay. He’s been with the same man for close to ten years and they’re out to their whole community. Her family’s really open and supportive, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to introducing my dad to them anyway.”

“Would he go after a total stranger at a family event?” Murray asked, and they both turned to him with disbelieving eyes, telling him without words that he was beyond stupid.

“I’ve seen him verbally abuse effeminate looking men who were stocking shelves at Payless,” Steven said quietly.

“I believe it. And you remember how he treated you, Murray. You were family _and_ a stranger and he ripped you apart.”

“Mmm, yes,” he agreed and turned the water back on.

“I’m serious, Uncle Ted. The wedding’s in Seattle and I’d be happy to pay your airfare. At least say you’ll think about it. I want to have some family there, and I don’t really want my parents to go. It would ruin everything if dad decided to be himself and attack Julie’s family.”

“We’re all the family you have?” Ted asked. “What about your mom’s folks?”

“Same story. Her parents are dead and she was an only child. At least they told me she was. I don’t know if I believe it anymore. Just think about it, Uncle Ted. If you’re not too busy, that is.”

“It’s in February, isn’t it? That should be okay.” He turned to Murray as if asking his approval and received a small nod in response.

“Yeah, all right. Is that a Saturday?”

“Uh-huh. You’d only need to take one day off work. Unless you wanted to fly up late Friday night, but I’d like it if you were at the rehearsal.”

“Sure, I could get a Friday off. But we won’t be the only people you know, will we?” He had a terrible mental image of Murray and himself being the only people on the groom’s side of the church and everyone staring at them.

“My friend Eric is going to be my best man, and I guess his girlfriend will probably go along, but that’s it. No one really wants to travel for a wedding.”

“If we ain’t in the wedding, do we need to be at the rehearsal?”

“No, you don’t _need_ to. But I’d like it if you were.”

“You’re sure taking to us in a hurry,” Ted remarked. “Throwing over your old man for an uncle you’ve known two hours. You might regret all this by February.”

“Not unless you’ve been lying all day. You seem like a really nice guy, Uncle Ted. You both do. And I love my dad, but just because he’s my dad. He’s not a nice man and I don’t enjoy spending time with him. I haven’t really liked him since I was twelve and he beat me for getting detention at school, which I got for repeating something _he_ said about migrant workers.”

“He’s just like our old man. I never quite understood why I wasn’t a better influence on that kid.”

“Maybe it was sibling rivalry,” Murray suggested, stacking the last dish in the drainer and turning off the water. He was drying his hands as they both turned to look at him, and the sudden scrutiny made him blush and drop his eyes.

“You lost me, babe. How would that work?” Ted asked.

“Oh, well, it’s simple.” He sat down on Ted’s other side and picked up his hand, holding it self-consciously. “You’re older than Greg by quite a bit, right? So he had two choices. Well, three, really. He could have ignored the whole thing and gone his own way—that’s what I’d have done—but most kids need more attention from their parents. So Greg’s only real, viable options were to do the right thing and let you influence him for the better, or do what he _did_ do and imitate your father to earn his approval. It made him a very unpleasant person, but as a little kid, he wasn’t planning ahead. He just saw that being like his dad made him the favorite over his big brother. I bet _he_ never got into trouble at home for repeating racist garbage at school.”

“That’s right,” Ted agreed. “Our folks always went to bat for him. I knew then that they weren’t doing him any favors. So what are you gonna tell him?”

“I think that if I tell him you two are going, he’ll say he won’t. Then it’ll be his decision.”

“And if he decides to go anyway?” Murray asked.

“That’s up to him, but I’m telling you, he won’t. Anyway, I can’t say for sure, I don’t know you that well, but I’m betting it would be a good vacation for you. Her folks have a big house in the country and everyone will stay there. You won’t even have to pretend you don’t want to share a room.”

“Well, it _is_ hard for us to get away. The last vacation we had was a computer conference in Vegas two years ago.”

“That woulda been great if it hadn’t been a computer conference,” Ted smirked. “Let us think about it, okay? We appreciate the invitation and everything, but—let’s give it a couple days.”

“Sure. Sure, I understand. Hey, it’s getting late. Let me give you my number and you can let me know what you decide.” Steven fished a card from his wallet and gave it to Ted, who handed it over to Murray.

“He keeps track of things,” he said as Murray tucked it away in his pocket. “I’ll be talking to you soon. And, uh, thanks for coming, Steve. I really—I mean—it was…”

“He means he’s really happy to finally meet you,” Murray finished for him.

“Happy, huh?” Steven teased, enjoying his uncle’s discomfort.

“Yeah,” Ted admitted. “I’m glad my asshole brother had a decent kid. Maybe two. I ain’t gonna say for sure ‘til I meet your sister.”

“You’ll like her, don’t worry. Anyway, thanks for supper. And Murray, it was really good to meet you, too.”

They walked him to the front door and Murray shook his hand. Ted offered to do likewise, and for a second it looked like Steve would take it. But then he hugged his uncle instead, catching him off guard enough to actually get a hug in return.

“Don’t forget to call me,” he said and was down the steps before they could answer. Ted stood there and watched until his taillights disappeared down the street. In his heart he knew that nothing would ever be the same again, and though his head said this was good, his stomach felt a little sick.

Murray hugged him gently around the waist, pulling him back enough to close the door.

“Are you okay, Ted?”

“I don’t know. I guess. It was just kind of—oh hell, who am I kidding? It was a huge shock. A grown man just shows up at my door and says he’s my own brother’s son? Fuck. And he has a sister. Did you get that part? I know Greg’s wife, too, and somehow they never told me…All those Christmas phone calls, our dad’s funeral, even—the kids would have been born by then and Greg never said a word. How could he manage that? And _why_ would he? Ah, Jesus, now I sound like you.”

“What’s wrong with that? I might talk a lot, but it’s usually useful, right? I don’t just babble nonsense, do I? Well, sometimes, but—”

“Stop it, Murray,” he interrupted without malice. “I wasn’t putting you down. I like your talking. Most of the time. Hey, you want to spend the night? I know you wasn’t planning on it…”

“But you don’t want to be alone? I’d love to. You know, it warms my heart to think that sometimes you need my company as much as I need yours. It’s kind of an honor, really.”

“Baby, you’re talking too much again. Just get ready for bed, okay?” Ted sighed, hugging him hard. “Your pajamas are in the wash but you can wear something of mine.”

“You _want_ me to wear something?”

“You don’t sleep naked in December.”

“Unless I have a good reason.”

Ted cleared his throat but didn’t speak. They hadn’t had many “good reasons” over the last few months, but it wasn’t something they talked about. Both were aware that Ted just wasn’t getting as many erections, but neither acknowledged it, since neither wanted to explore the reasons. Ted was sure it was because he was getting old and found the idea thoroughly humiliating. Murray was equally humiliated, certain, in spite of Ted’s insistence to the contrary, that his lover’s lack of arousal meant boredom with him. But because Ted wasn’t making an issue of it, because they still enjoyed each other’s company and slept comfortably together whether they made love or not, he accepted the situation as it was.

Tonight he turned down the offer of Ted’s clothes, knowing they wouldn’t fit and suspecting that simple skin-on-skin contact might comfort Ted as it so often comforted him. They cuddled together under a pile of blankets, Ted pressed up against Murray’s back, one arm under his neck, and the other draped over his ribs, hands clasped in the center of Murray’s chest. Murray held onto those hands with both of his, feeling Ted’s warm breath in his hair, slowly gathering the courage to speak.

“You’re not okay with all this, are you, Lieutenant?” he asked after a few more minutes.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your family. Steven showing up and inviting you to his wedding. I thought you’d be happy to have some family after all this time, but you’re not. Are you?”

“No,” he sighed, his arms tightening around Murray’s narrow chest. “This isn’t what I wanted at all.”

“But why? You seemed so sad about not having anyone. I thought this would be perfect. Steve’s such a nice guy, and he’s a close relative. He could be like a son to you.”

“Never said I wanted a son.”

“But you wanted something, right? Please, what’s wrong, Lieutenant?”

“I was done with it. For years, all I had was some phone calls and a vague hope that Greg might change his mind. But after the last time he was here, I just gave up on all of it. I was done with family. I had you and that was enough.”

“You think of me as family? Gee, Ted, that’s so sweet. I don’t know what—”

“I never said that. Family stinks. They just let you down over and over, and you have to keep forgiving them and going back for more.”

“That _does_ sound like me.”

“No, I don’t _have_ to forgive you. I like having you around, is all. But Greg, he comes to my door and I gotta take him in, no matter how big an asshole he’s being. I don’t need any more of that.”

“But Steven’s not an asshole. He’s a nice guy and it’s good getting to know him.”

“Except he’s sucking me back in. He’s Greg’s kid and sooner or later, that’s gonna force us back together. I wanted a clean break. I wanted it to just be—us.”

“Oh. Well, that’s flattering, too. But Steven likes us, and just because we’re going to his wedding, that doesn’t mean we have to be a big part of his life. He’s a little too old to be looking for a father now, anyway.”

“I guess,” Ted agreed doubtfully. “It’s just a surprise, that’s all. Oh, hell, who am I to kidding? It was the biggest fucking shock of my life.”

“I bet it was. When I first walked in, I was surprised that you even had another friend. Then, when I’d had a minute to think about it, I was jealous. I thought you’d replaced me with someone younger and better looking.”

“Kid, the chances of that…”

“I know. Save your low self-esteem for another day. I’m just saying, I couldn’t have been more stunned if he _had_ been a lover.”

“I was afraid you was thinking that, no matter how stupid it was. The look in your big scared eyes—baby, I coulda laughed.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I love you, Ted. And I can love your family, and so can _you_. Steven must need you or he wouldn’t have come.”

“I know that, Murray. I just don’t want to be needed. It’s enough that _you_ need me. And with my job—it’s enough. I don’t want any more responsibility than that.”

“Love hurts and you don’t want to love any more people than you have to,” Murray whispered.

“Are you shrinking me, kid? Because I’ve seen your degrees and that ain’t your field.”

“No, but I know you. I know how long it took you to be able to love me. And I know I can count the number of other people you love on one hand and have fingers left over to whistle.”

“You don’t know how long it took me to fall in love with you,” Quinlan laughed, squeezing him hard. “You just know how long it took me to say it.”

“So how long _did_ it take to fall in love?”

“Honestly? I don’t remember for sure. But it happened before we left the cabin the first time. Maybe even before we got there.”

“You’re just saying that,” Murray said, blushing to his shoulders.

“No, I ain’t. This is my turn to tell the truth, so just shut up and take it. I was crazy about you and too arrogant to say so. If you hadn’t kept leaving me, I probably never would’ve.”

“Good thing I was such a selfish jerk,” he laughed, still blushing.

“All people are selfish jerks, baby. That’s why I don’t want to love any more of ‘em than I have to.”

“I’ll do my best to be enough. But I still want to go to the wedding.”

“All right. For you, I’ll go. And if you want to be a surrogate father to my nephew, who’s barely ten years younger than you, we’ll do that, too.”

“I never said I wanted to be a father figure. I said I _you_ could be.”

Ted shifted a little and pinched Murray’s nipple in a teasing, reproving way. Murray responded by wriggling his narrow ass more into Ted’s groin. When he didn’t get a reciprocating erection, or even an encouraging twitch, he turned his head awkwardly to steal a kiss instead. It was freely given, firm and gentle and filled with love, and Murray was content to be held as he went to sleep, thinking happy thoughts about this new nephew who could change everything for Ted, in the very best way.


End file.
